This is the third volume of Rodgers and Hart we’ve released and it’s another complete delight, with a great cast including Nancy Andrews, Blossom Dearie, Johnny Desmond, Estelle Parsons, Anthony Perkins, Lynn Redgrave, and Arthur Siegel. The musical arrangements and musical direction are by long-time Bagley regular, Dennis Deal. There are, as always, lots of great Rodgers and Hart rarities, a treasure trove of great tunes with great lyrics. That is the joy of these albums, not hearing the tried and true, but hearing the neglected and unknown. Because Bagley did not add any extra songs for his original CD release, we’ve added an almost thirty-minute interview with composer Richard Rodgers (talking with Tony Thomas) – Rodgers is very candid, and also plays the piano several times. It’s an illuminating interview with one of the all-time greats of the musical theater and it fills out the running time to almost seventy-nine minutes.
As always, we’ve really spruced up the sound, and we of course give you the great Harvey Schmidt artwork. -KRITZERLAND
1. It’s a Lovely Day for a Murder/Mornings at Seven/How’s Your Health Nancy Andrews and the Men
2. Someone Should Tell Them Lynn Redgrave, Anthony Perkins
3. Damsel Who Done All the Dirt Estelle Parsons, Nancy Andrews
4. Life Was Monotonous Anthony Perkins and the Men
5. Why Do I? Arthur Siegel
6. I’m a Fool, Little One Estelle Parsons
7. The Letter Song Lynn Redgrave, Arthur Siegel
8. We’ll Be the Same Blossom Dearie and the Men
9. Where the Hudson River Flows/I’d Like to Hide It/The Hermits Nancy Andrews and the Men
10. Are You My Love? Johnny Desmond
11. Nothing to Do but Relax Blossom Dearie and the Women
12. He Was Too Good to Me Estelle Parsons
13. Women Arthur Siegel
14. Who Are You? Anthony Perkins
15. It’s Just That Kind of Play/Sky City/I’ve Got to Get Back to New York Lynn Redgrave and the Men
BONUS TRACK
16. Richard Rodgers interviewed by Tony Thomas
Vocal and Music Arrangements by Dennis Deal